Jinn couriers have gone on strike outside the startup's office over pay changes

Couriers working for delivery app Jinn have gone on strike over
pay outside the company's office in East London.

Jinn, which operates an app that allows people to get things
delivered from restaurants like McDonald's and shops, told riders
on Wednesday morning that it had changed its payment model.

The company is moving from paying drivers £8 an hour plus £1.50
per delivery to paying them £7 per delivery and no hourly fee,
according to two Jinn couriers.

Leon Herrera, Jinn's cofounder and chief operating officer (COO),
was heckled and told he was a "thief" when he confronted the
protestors on the street. "You're treating us like slaves,"
shouted one of the protesters at Herrera.

One protestor threw a bottle at Herrera as he started walking
back to the office. It narrowly missed but the contents of the
bottle splashed onto the COO's clothes. Some of the protestors
shouted "no violence" after the incident.

A security guard that manages the building Jinn is in told
Business Insider around 7pm that the police had been called as
drivers surrounded Herrera and tried to stop him returning to his
office.

Several drivers at the protest, which took place outside Jinn's
office in Aldgate, expressed concern over the new payment model.
"What happens if we don't get any orders?" said one courier, who
wished to remain anonymous. Another said: "We can wait in the
cold for 12 hours straight and not get paid. That’s a problem."

Approximately 40 drivers were at the protest at 6pm (GMT) on
Wednesday but some drivers expected that figure to rise to around
100. The protest has been arranged simply by word of mouth as
opposed to social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, one
driver said.